The Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division manages a number of fish species in U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters known as highly migratory species (HMS). These fish—tuna, sharks, swordfish, and billfish—live throughout the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico and often migrate long distances. Because these species cross domestic and international boundaries, NOAA Fisheries' HMS Management Division is responsible for managing them under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In cooperation with an advisory panel, the division develops and implements fishery management plans for these species taking into account all domestic and international requirements under the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Because these fish travel long distances, responsible management of HMS requires international cooperation through a number of agreements including the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).